Self-presentation and hiring recommendations in online communities

Abstract

This study investigated how a job seeker self-presentation affects recruiter’s hiring recommendations in an online communities and what categories of self-presentation contribute to fit perceptions for obtaining hiring recommendations. The study participants viewed potential candidates’ LinkedIn profiles and responded to questions regarding the argument quality and source credibility of their self-presentations, fit perceptions, and hiring recommendations. The results show that recruiters make inferences about job seekers’ person–job fit and person–organisation fit on the basis of argument quality in specific self-presentation categories, which in turn predict recruiters’ intentions to recommend job seekers for hiring. Although certain specific categories of self-presentation offering source credibility have positive associations with person–person (P–P) fit perception, there is a non-significant relationship between perceived P–P fit and hiring recommendations.